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Death Saurer
The Death Saurer (also written as Deathsaurer) is a dinosaur-type Zoid, one of over 200 species of biomechanical lifeforms depicted by TOMY's Zoids model, toy, and media franchise. The Death Saurer is the ultimate villain of the Chaotic Century and Guardian Force anime series, and plays a major role throughout the Battle Story. Overview The Death Saurer is a Dinosaur-type Zoid modeled after the fictional Japanese monster Godzilla, and is used by the Zenebas Empire, and later the Guylos Empire. The Death Saurer is one of the most powerful Zoids ever to have existed. The Death Saurer was developed as a counter to the Republic's Ultrasaurus, a Zoid that was considered to be unstoppable. To defeat it, the Death Saurer was armed with a new weapon, the Charged Particle Cannon. This weapon, long considered to be one of the most powerful ever mounted on a Zoid, was capable of levelling almost any target in a single blast. No form of armour or defense was effective against this weapon. While many other Zoids have mounted Charged Particle Cannons as well, the Death Saurer's is still the most powerful. Additionally, unlike most other CPC-armed Zoids, the Death Saurer does not need to be immobilised in order to fire its weapon. In addition to its powerful weapons, the Death Saurer is also covered by some of the thickest armor on any Zoid. The Death Saurer's armor was designed to defend against such weapons as the Ultrasaurus' quad 360 mm Cannons and the Gojulas Supercannons. The only weakness in its armor is the intake for its Charged Particle Cannon. The intake is less protected than the rest of its body, and is vulnerable to attack. Destroying it will expose the Zoid's power system to a direct attack. The Death Saurer's only other weakness is the ponderously slow speed at which it moves, which makes it an easy target. Of course, its thick armor and powerful weapons mean that it can survive almost any assault.ok? Battle Story appearances The Death Saurer first appeared during the Zenebas offensive against the Republic in ZAC 2044. With the Death Saurer's power, the Empire was able to steamroll the Helic army, destroying their capital and forcing them to retreat to the mountains in the far east of the continent. The Death Saurer was simply unstoppable; there was no weapon that was effective against it. With each Death Saurer being protected by dedicated escort of Lidiers and Reddras, there was no easy way to exploit its few weaknesses. The Republic began a program to overcome this failing, eventually resulting in the deployment of the Madthunder in ZAC 2048. The Madthunder force was used to counterattack the Death Saurer force in the Republic's capital, and succeeded in defeating them. From there, the Republic drove towards the Empire's capital, capturing it in ZAC 2049. Zenebas' personal Death Saurer was one of the first Zoids to face a Guylos Deadborder, being crushed by the latter's Gravity Cannons. The surviving Death Saurers were integrated into the Guylos army and served as shock troops, but were destroyed in the meteor strike of ZAC 2056. In ZAC 2099, the Guylos Empire found the ruins of a previously unknown advanced civilization on Mount Olympus, on the Western Continent of Europa. Inside these ruins was a Death Saurer which, while damaged, provided them with enough information to reverse engineer its technology and begin limited production of it for their armies. They also developed a new Zoid from its systems, the Geno Saurer. In response, the Helic army began work on recreating the Madthunder. The two massive Zoids faced each other again in ZAC 2102 on the Dark Continent, the Helic Madthunders again triumphing. However, Imperial Regent Gunther Prozen had his own Zoid, the Bloody Death Saurer. He used it to attack the Helic forces in the Imperial capital, before it was disabled by a Guylos Iron Kong. Mortally wounded, Prozen set the Zoid to overload and explode, destroying the city and the bulk of the two armies present. In ZAC 2230, the Zi-Arms corporation found the wreckage of a Death Saurer. Using technologies developed for the Chimera Blox, they revived it in a new form, the Mega Death Saurer. However, the Zoid went berserk and attacked everything around it, destroying the Zi-Arms forces. In the end, the combined power of the three legendary Tiger Zoids, Whitz Tiger, Rayse Tiger and Brastle Tiger was required to destroy it. Media appearances Anime Chaotic Century The Death Saurer first appeared in Zoids: Chaotic Century, as a major part of the central plot of the series. It is depicted as a extraordinarily evil Zoid, and is able to possess the Imperial regent, Gunther Prozen, who then seeks to revive the Death Saurer by secretly using Raven to collect Zoid Corees. He then amalgamates these cores, and ultimately is successful in reviving the Zoid. It is first seen in Episode 32, where it goes berserk in response to Fiona's presence. It is later unveiled in full during Prozen's coronation ceremony (as he had attempted to assassinate Crown Prince Rudolph, and although unsuccessful, was able to convince the Empire's heads of state that he was indeed deceased, thus usurping the throne), where Prozen unleashes it upon the returning Crown Prince, along with all the forces who had allied with him. The Death Saurer does not stop there, and begins to lays waste to the whole capital. Quickly realising the utter madness that would ensue by letting the rampaging Zoid go free, the Empire's own forces defect and attack it as well. It was not invulnerable, however, and it was damaged by the combined Republican and Imperial forces, although only superficially. It's primary weakness is exploited, the particle intake fan on its back is jammed by Rosso's Storm Sworder, and its missile batteries are destroyed by the Empire's shelling. It is then immobilised by Karl Schubaltz's Iron Kong, and, in the brief opening, Van Flyheight launches an attack with his Blade Liger. The particle intake fan is restarted as the missiles jamming it prove too weak to hold it back for long, and Van is blasted with the Zoid's Charged Particle Cannon. However, Van's Liger proves able to negate the Death Saurer's otherwise unstoppable weapon, as his blades neutralise the cannon's Charged Particles, allowing him to plough through its Zoid Core, (seemingly) destroying it and Prozen. Guardian Force In Zoids: Guardian Force, the Death Saurer's history was revealed. It was built by the Ancient Zoidians (an all-but deceased race that existed prior to human settlement on Planet Zi), who sought to end all war with the Zoid's overwhelming power. It did prove to be as powerful as they hoped, but was indiscriminate in what it targeted, and threatened to wipe out everything on Zi. In order to combat the Zoid, the Ancient Zoidians thought of destroying the Zoid Eve, the source of power for all Zoids, but could not bring themselves to kill every Zoid on the planet, and simply reduced its power instead, sealing the Death Saurer away. This Zoid's body was then cloned and its Zoid Core powered by the Cores collected by Prozen in the first series, creating the replica Death Saurer featured in Chaotic Century. While this was destroyed, the Core survived, fusing to Gunther Prozen, who renamed himself the Dark Kaiser, and it is he who is behind Hiltz's actions throughout Guardian Force. Prozen himself is simply used as a vessel to keep the core secure, and he is killed when the Core re-fuses with the Death Saurer's true body. It is then further enhanced by Hiltz, who fuses both the Death Stinger and himself to the Death Saurer, greatly enhancin its power. Not only is it able to withstand the combined assaults of the Empire and Republic, but it is able to survive a shot from the Gravity Cannon, as well as multiple blasts from Raven's Geno Breaker's Charged Particle Cannon, unharmed. The particle intake fan is upgraded to be a particle converter, and is therefore not possible to jam, and the Particle Cannon is so powerful that Van's Blade Liger is, while immune to its destructive power, forced back by the beam, and therefore unable to cut through the Zoid's armor, as he did in the previous series. With the use of a lens-like apparatus, the Death Saurer is able to bend and split it's particle beam, annihilating vast areas of Zi with only a few shots. It is even outfitted with an Energy Shield, and thus, the Zoid is all but invulnerable, and is able to incapacitate the Ultrasaurus in a single shot. All seems lost, and Fiona, as a surviving ancient Zoidian, takes steps to finish what was started many years ago, the destruction of Zoid Eve, even knowing the consequences. But hope is regained, and after putting his trust in his archrival, it is Raven, with the help of Shadow, who repeatedly fires his Charged Particle Cannon at the same spot on the Death Saurer, punching a hole into the Zoid's Shield. This gives Van an opening. He boosts his speed by using the damaged Ultrasaurus' Gravity Cannon to propel himself and his Blade Liger at the Death Saurer at incredible speed. The power of this colossal cannon gives Van the power he needs to cut through the Zoid's Particle cannon, enabling him to slice through its armour and destroy its Zoid Core, ultimately defeating the Zoid without the need to destroy Zoid Eve. New Century Zero Not physically but in more of a visual, the Death Saurer's lone appearance in Zoids: New Century Zero is a super deformed version breathing fire (apparently intended as "animation within the animation") at the start of a news broadcast. The Death Saurer is also mentioned in passing in some episodes; Dr. Laon boasts that his custom transport, the "Great Whale King" is as powerful as one, and Steve Toros mentions offhand that his Hover Cargo's shield could deflect shots from a Death Saurer's Charged Particle Cannon. Size Discrepancy .]] In the anime, the Death Saurer appears differently to its Battle Story counterpart. The Death Saurer is an ancient, powerful Zoid, responsible for the destruction of the Ancient Zoidian civilization. The anime Death Saurer's size is expanded for dramatic purposes, but is also rather inconsistent. Sometimes, it is shown as closer in size to Godzilla, while at other times the Zoid is depicted as being closer in size to the battle story version. This is especially evident in the scenes depicting Prozen as standing on its shoulder. This feature is not unique to the Death Saurer; many other Zoids are portrayed in the anime as being larger than their stats indicate. The animation model of the Death Saurer also has somewhat exaggerated proportions; the Zoid's neck is longer and thinner than the model's, while the head is proportionally smaller, making it more closely resemble Godzilla than the model kit. Its claws are also elongated and razor sharp, as opposed to the blunt, squared off fingers of the model kit. Video Games The Death Saurer appeared in the Zoids: Legacy video game in addition to a custom variant known as Death Meteor. In the game, the Death Saurer fuses with Victory Rex to become Death Saurer VF. In-game, it also features a 'Diffused Charged Particle Cannon', capable of hitting every enemy at once. This version of the charged particle cannon is also used by Geno Flame, Geno Hydra (and its variants), and Berserk Fury (and its variants). The Death Saurer also appeared in the Zoids VS series. In Zoids VS II (Zoids Battle Legends), it appeared along with two variations: Bloody Death Saurer and Mega Death Saurer (Referred to as simply the Megasaurer) All three Zoids appear at multiple points during the game, as an enemy in Battle Mode and both Mission modes. The player can only use the Death Saurer and its variants in Vs Mode, because it cannot be bought in Battle Mode. To unlock Megasaurer, the player must enter a certain code; different codes also unlock Energy Liger and Liger Zero Phoenix. The Bloody Death Saurer appears as an opponent in Zoids Battle Colosseum, with Prozen piloting the Zoid Bloody Demon Another variant appeared in the Zoids Saga series game known as the Bloody Demon. ''The Zoid is based off a one of a kind custom Zoid that won a customization contest a few years ago. It was also issued as a Gashapon included in the Whale King playset. The Zoid has also been seen as an art statue along with the Death Saurer. Image:Saga_2_Death_Saurer.png|Death Saurer Image:Saga2_Death_Meteor.png|Death Meteor Image:Saga2_Bloody_Demon.png|Bloody Demon Image:DeathsaurerVF.png‎|Death Saurer VF Trading Cards The Death Saurer was featured in three out of the four Zoids Trading Cards releases; all except Zoids Scramble. Models Original Japanese Release *Assembly required. (Snap-together, no glue needed. Scissors or X-acto knife recommended for trimming off excess plastic bits.) *The model's colours are moulded into the plastic, and it does not need any paint. The Death Saurer kit comes on five frames (one of which is a weapons frame also shared with the Red Horn, Sabre Tiger and Dimetrodon), along with a battery-powered motor with light, a clear frame, thirty-two rubber caps, a frame of washers, a rubber band, two small chromed silver pilots, and label sheets. The Death Saurer is moulded in bronze, bright red, and silver, with silver weapons and a smoke-coloured canopy. The Death Saurer’s construction is reasonably involved and complex, especially given the Zoids size. The Death Saurer uses a pair of “C” sized batteries for motion. Once activated, the Zoid walks forwards, waving its arms, sweeping its tail from side to side, the jaws opening and closing and the fan on its back spinning. The Death Saurer's eyes also flash on and off. Like several other Zoids of the time, the Death Saurer could use a number of different optional weapons that were included in the Empire Customise Set. The Death Saurer was released in 1987, and was produced up until about 1989. Original European Release A version of the Death Saurer was planned for release in Europe in 1987-88, but was cancelled before it reached production. A single image of the Zoid exists in a TV commercial, depicting the model as being black and grey in colour with blue caps. It seems around 20 units were produced, as promotional items for the shops, packaged in white boxes. This version is commonly named Deathsaurus. New Japanese Release The Death Saurer was re-released in Japan in 1999 in the ''New Japanese Release. This version had a different colour scheme, being black, dull red and silver, with light blue canopies and blue pilots. There were no changes to the design. Several chromed versions from independent companies were released. Clear Death Saurer Often called "Crystal" by English-speaking fans, this version was available as a competition prize in Japan. It was molded almost completely from clear plastic with the caps recoloured to red, and the pilot and motor retaining the "NJR" colors. A total of one hundred were made for the contest, but soon after, the zoid saw a less limited release in Singapore and was poduced in somewhat greater numbers, as did the other Z-Point zoids. Bloody Death Saurer This limited edition version was released by Toy's Dream Project in 2003, with an estimated total of 3,000 released. The Zoid has been entirely recoloured in blood-red, black, and dull silver, with smoke-coloured canopies. A small modification has been made to the design; the lights now remain on instead of flashing. New American Release The Death Saurer was released in the US as a FAO Schwarz exclusive in 2002. There were no modifications to the Zoid beyond the packaging. Hasbro had planned a wider release of the Death Saurer in 2004, but the NAR was cancelled before the release occurred. Despite the model not actually being released by Hasbro, The Death Saurer was released as part of the Hasbro Action Figures line. It featured a backpack with 2 spring-loaded missiles that could be fired. Mega Death Saurer Prototype Supposed to be released in 2004, this model was only seen once. It is a white re-colored version with a special back part. It was also the reputed main antagonist in the Three Tigers story line and is also featured in Zoids VS II ''video game.(''Zoids: Battle Legends ''in the US. For more details see the media section of this article) Present production status, how many were ever produced, and the current location of any prototypes or examples of this Zoid are all currently unknown. Image:Mega1a.jpg|''Mega Death Saurer Image:Mega1b.jpg|Special customized backpack Dark Death Saurer A promotional kit used to advertise Takara Tomy's Dark Zoids Army. Present status of this model being made into production is currently unknown. External Link Toy Review *treswright.vervehosting.com *Japanese review (Translated) *Bloody Death Saurer review Category:Zoids Category:Godzilla-Inspired Zoids Category:Guylos Empire Zoids Category:Zenebas Empire Zoids Category:Tyrannosaur-Type Zoids